Soldering Sometimes Goes Wrong - Tips Please

[courage best]

Though not a pro, I am a very keen DIYer, with lots of experience. Believeing that 'copper is proper', I like to use copper pipe in my projects with enfeed fittings.

Sometimes, I get a problem with getting the solder into the joint. It seems to just run down the outside of the fitting/pipe and occasionally I get leaks. For some reason, tees and 22mm couplings on vertical pipes seem to be the main problem joints.

I always clean the pipe, and apply a thin even layer of Powerflux, and heat the fitting.

On a tee, should I just hold the flame on the middle of the fitting in one place, or direct it at each branch seperately that I am putting the solder into?

Is it best to heat the highest branch first, then do the lower branches last?

Is a cooler flame better, or should I get the gas on max and heat the fitting as quickly as poss?

Is it possible to overheat a fitting, and would this stop the solder flowing in?

Any tips appreciated!

 

[jackpike]

if you clean the pipe, apply flux to the pipe and make sure the flux touches all round the pipe, ensure the fitting goes full socket, heat the fitting and pipe, this is a main cause of failure, the pipe and fitting must reach the required tempurature, don't worry about overheating but worry about underheating better to leave the torch there a few seconds longer to be sure, then allow enough time to cool, don't be in a rush to move the pipe , then wipe with a wet cloth,

 

[aceone]

Make sure the blowlamp head is big enough to give you the right amount of heat,especialy on 22m +.... and clean both fitting and pipe .,can never be to clean ,but can be too dirty

 

[crockett]

The OP wants advice, not insults, Everest. Why use yorkshire ?

 

[ChrisR]

Most DIY failures are due to overheating, unless you use a weedy blowlamp. If you burn the flux or get the fittings going dark, the solder won't run.

Usual bad procedure is to start at the bottom of a number of fluxed-up joints, so by the time you get to the top, they're all overheated.
Start at the top, small sizes first if present up there cos they'll overheat quickest.
Here if you use a weedy blowlamp, you've spend so much time that all the unsoldered joints can get overheated.

Move the torch around, most of the heat on the pipe, usually.

 

[jackpike]

its not a good idea to over heat a joint, i agree, cos it will discolour and not look pretty, but when it cools it will be ok, and as for the solder running out, i'll try that after ,

 

[courage best]

Thanks for the replies so far.

ChrisR and Jack seem to be advising heating the pipe. I thought you only heated the fitting, as the solder is drawn to the flame. I have never put the flame to the pipe. Perhaps part of the problem?

So, you're saying to put the heat on the pipe as well?

 

[penfold46]

Remember, Everest18 is a bullshitter.

 

[jackpike]

courage, yes heat both the pipe and fitting, the solder can only stick to the copper when it reaches temp, when the flux starts to spit and bubble, apply the solder and watch it be sucked into the fitting, allow that to happen all around the fitting,

 

[courage best]

Thanks Jack.

Are you the Youtube moviemaker? If yes, have you done one on end feed that I can watch?

 

[kirkgas]

sounds like your straight off a 6 week course.

ok mr old school plumbing how long have you been in the trade? if your post was a subtle ironic comment, it was just too subtle for me

 

[kirkgas]

yes you can definatly overheat a fitting this will sometimes lead to a leak

 

[gasbanni]

Clean pipe and internals of fittings, and use flux. Its simply practice makes perfect.

Your looking at manipulating the blowtorch not too hot or cold and not too near or too far away, without seeing you blowtorch its difficult to judge
but when you see the flux bubling up and spitting just slightly your nearly there. If the flux has all evaporated... too hot too late start again. If the joint has not discoloured you could just add flux but not till your skills and experiance tell you you can add flux or its futile !

Keep practising once youve got it thats it !!!

 

[45yearsagasman]

penfold why am i a bullshiter? come on knobhead.

dont be a big mouth son

This bloke is like a bad smell and won't go away.

 

[gasbanni]

Thanks for the replies so far.

ChrisR and Jack seem to be advising heating the pipe. I thought you only heated the fitting, as the solder is drawn to the flame. I have never put the flame to the pipe. Perhaps part of the problem?

So, you're saying to put the heat on the pipe as well?

Yep I usually heat the pipe up just beyond the fitting so the flame is not directly on the flux in the fitting, just personal preference this point.